Polish ing-machine



No. 6l3,353. Patented Nov. I898. F. BUBSEB.

POLISHING MACHINE.

(Application filed July '7, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m: nuams PETERS co. PHOTO-Lima, wnsumemn, n. c

N0. 6l3,353. Patented Nov. I, I898. F. BUBSER.

POLISHING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 7. 1897.) (-No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FIDEL BUBSER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE POPEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND PORTLAND, MAINE.

POLISHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,353, dated November1, 1898.

Application filed July 7, 1897. Serial No. 648,687. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FIDEL BUBSER, a citizen of the United States,residingin the city and county of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polishing-Machines,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to machines for buffing or polishing articles ofwood or metal; and its object is to produce an improved machine of thisclass which shall operate with great efficiency and economy and whichshall be particularly adapted to the buffing or polishing of tubes orrods of metal or wood, such as are employed in the construction ofbicycles.

The machine comprises in its construction a suitable buffer or polisher,with means for driving the same and means for holding the tube or otherarticle to be polished in operative relation with the buffer orpolisher. In its most approved form the holding means are so arrangedthat the tube or other article to be polished or buifed is fedautomatically across the buffing or polishing surface, it being possiblealso to regulate the speed of movement of the tube or other article withrelation to the speed of movement of the buffing or polishing surface,so as to produce any desired result.

In the accompanying drawingsl have illustrated my invention as embodiedin such an improved form of machine, and I will proceed to describe myinvention with reference thereto.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine referred to.Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same as seen from the left in Fig. 1, withthe tube-supporting devices removed. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view, onalarger scale, illustrating particularly the manner of feeding the tubeto be polished or buffed across the polishing or buffing surface. Fig 4is a View, partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation, ofthe parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating aslightly different form of the belt-tightener. Fig. 6 is a detail Viewillustrating a device for permitting angular adjustment of the rod ortube carrier.

In the machine shown in the drawings the Various Working parts aresupported upon a bed-plate or frame A. Pedestals'B and B are mountedupon the bed-plate or frame A, the pedestal B being preferably fixed inposition thereon, while the pedestal B is mounted adjustably thereontoward and from the other pedestal B, a lug 1) (shown in dotted lines inFig. 2) projecting downward into a slot at of the bed-plate or frame andbeing engaged by a threaded shaft 1), which is provided with a suitablehand-wheel 19 The lug b is extended below the bed-plate or frame and isscrew-threaded, as at 19 to re ceive a clamping-lever b, by which thepedestal may be securely held in adj usted position.

In suitable bearings in each pedestal is ie ing or polishing strap orbelt D, which may be of any suitable material adapted for its purpose.

The pedestal B is made adjustable, as already described, to accommodatestraps of different lengths; but as it is desirable that So provisionshould be made for slackening or tightening the belt at dififerent timesin the operation of the machine I have provided a belt-tightener, asshown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. As there shown, the belt-tightenercomprises a suitable pulley d, mounted between the arms of a forkedcarrier or lever d, which is pivoted upon a suitable bracket (:1 Aspring (P, which may be attached to the free end of the lever d, servesto maintain the 0 belt D normally tight, or at least with its upper oroperative member yieldingly in contact with the tube or other article tobe polished, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. A notched sector d is securedin proximity to the free end of 5 the lever, and a latch 01 is mountedupon the lever and is adapted to engage the notch of the sector (1 tohold the pulley d out of contact with the belt D in opposition to thetension of the spring (1 A buffer or polisher such as that justdescribed, in which the buftin g or polishing sur face is formed by. abelt or strap, will generally be found to be better adapted for thebuffing or polishing of tubes or rods than a disk or wheel buffer orpolisher; but it will be obvious that a buffer or polisher of thisparticular kind is not essential to the carrying out of the inventionand may be replaced by any other well-known form of buffer or polisher.

Mounted upon the bed-plate or frame A is a second plate E, which forms apart of the devices for supporting and carrying the tube or otherarticle to be bufi'ed or polished. The said plate E is arranged at moreor less of an oblique angle with respect to the bed-plate or frame A. InFig. 3 I have represented it bolted to the bed-plate or frame A by boltswhich pass through flanges e c. It is preferable, however, to providefor angular adj ustment of the plate or carrier E, and in Fig. 6 I haveshown the bed-plate or frame A as formed with semicircular slots a a,through which the bolts e 6' pass, so that by loosening the bolts theplate E may be set as desired.

Mounted in brackets ff on the plate E are supporting and guide tubes FF, there being preferably one such tube at each side of the buffer orpolisher D. The brackets are split, as at f, and provided withclamping-boltsy, so that the position of each tube may be adjusted andthe tube then fastened securely in its adjusted position. One of thesetubes, F, receives the tube or rod to be polished at one side of thebuffer or polisher and the other, F, delivers the polished tube or rodat the other side of the machine, the said tube or rod having passedacross the face of the buffer or polisher D between the ends of the twotubes F and F. In the end of the tube F nearest the buffer or polisheris a removable bushing f which is held in place by a suitableclamping-ringf applied to the end of the tube F, and has a conicalopening which centralizes the tube or rod to be polished. Suitablebushings are substituted one for another, according to the size of thetube or rod to be polished, it being desirable that the tube or rodshall be supported substantially central with respect to thereceiving-tube F, but shall pass freely through the bushing. The mainfunction of the tubes F and F is to guide the tube or rod to bepolished, preventing it from lashing about to its injury, andincidentally to support its end; but inasmuch as it is desirable thatthe tube or rod to be polished shall be permitted to rotate freely whileit is in contact with the buffing or polishing surface I prefer toprovide between the tubes F and F and in close proximity to the bufferor polisher, one on each side thereof, freely-rotatable supports for thetube or rod while it is being polished. I therefore secure to the plateE, between the two inner brackets f f, two other brackets g g, whichsupport freely-rotatable sleeves G, which in turn loosely s upport thetube T and are themselves rotated by contact with the tube or rod. Anysuitable bearings whichwill permit the sleeves G to rotate freely may beemployed. In Fig.

4 of the drawings I have shown the sleeve G as revolving on balls 9,which are supported by cones formed on a sleeve 9, the latter beingfixed in the bracket g. The bearings are protected from dust by adust-cap g or other suitable device. Bushings g may be placed in thesleeve G to directly support the tube, being removable to permit othersto be substituted, according to the size of the tube.

In the use of the machine which I have described herein the belt 13 isfirst slackened or allowed to drop below the axis of the tubes F F byraising the free end of the forked lever (1, the latch d engaging thenotched sector d to hold the tightening-pulley (I out of contact withthe belt. The tube to be polished is then pushed through thereceivingtube F and the supporting sleeve or bearing G until its endprojects over the belt or strap D. The latch (77 is then released andthe belttightening pulley dis caused by the spring (1" to press the beltor strap against the tube. Motion being imparted to the belt or strap Dthe tube is subjected to the buffin g or polishing action of the beltand is fed forward across the face of the belt, its leading end enteringthe second bearing and the tube F until its whole length has passedacross the belt.

It will be understood that the speed of rotation of the tube T willdepend upon its position with relation to the belt D. If it is disposedat right angles with respect thereto, it will have the maximum speed ofrotation, while as its position approaches parallelism with the belt itsspeed of rotation will be proportionately reduced. The peripheral speedof the rotation of the tube will of course be less than the speed of thebelt or strap in any case by reason of the friction of the tube in itsbearing, and the abrasive or polishing action of the belt or strap onthe tube will be proportional to the difference between the lineal speedof the belt or strap, or, in other words, the surface speed of thebuffer or polisher, and the peripheral speed of the tube. If it weredesired to increase the abrasive action beyond the maximum possibleunder these conditions, it would be necessary to rotate the tube in theopposite direction. It will also be understood that if the tube crossesthe belt or strap at right angles there will be no tendency of the tubeto move in the direction of its axis, and in such a case it would benecessary to feed the tube forward by hand or by suitable mechanicaldevices. If, however, the tube crosses the belt or strap at an obliqueangle-as represented, for example, in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawingstheaction of the belt or strap upon the tube will be not only to cause itto rotate, but to cause it to move in the direction of its length,thereby effecting the necessary feed automatically. A variation in theangle at which the tube crosses the belt or strap will obviously effecta corresponding change in the rate of feed.

The form of belt-tightener shown in Fig. 5 is preferable to that shownin Fig. 2 for the reason that it prevents the decrease in the tension ofthe spring,which takes place in the construction shown in Fig. 2 as soonas the roller 61 rises and likewise permits of the adjustment of thetightener while maintaining tension on the spring. In the constructionshown in Fig. 5 the lever or carrier d is mounted, as before, upon astandard 01 and carries the pulley d. The spring (1 is also attached tothe lever 01, but instead of having its lower end fixed to the frame orbedplate it is secured to an arm at. The latter is carried by a shortshaft al to which the rock-lever d is secured. A latch 01 on the lever dengages a notched sector d This construction allows the operator to setthe tension on the spring (1 at the proper amount to force the rollerinto contact with the belt and raise it to its operative position.

Since many changes may be made in the details of construction andarrangementherein shown and described without departing from the spiritof my invention, I do not de sire my invention to be limited to theprecise construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a buffer or polisherand means to drive the same, of a rotatable support to loosely hold thetube or rod to be buffed or polished, said support being mounted torotate freely with the tube or rod, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination with a buffer or polisher and means to drive thesame, of a freelyrotatable sleeve loosely supporting the tube or rod tobe bufi'ed or polished and having its axis disposed at an oblique anglewith relation to the direction of movement of the buffer or polisher,substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with a buffer or polisher and means to drive thesame, of a guiding-tube to receive the rod or tube to be buffed orpolished and mounted in proximity to the buffer or polisher with itsaxis disposed at an angle with relation to the plane of movement of thebuffer or polisher, and a supportingsleeve rotatably mounted betweensaid tube and buffer or polisher and in line with said tube,substantially as shown and described.

at. The combination with a buffer or polisher and means to drive thesame, of a bracket mounted in proximity to said buffer or polisher, asleeve supported on ball-bearings in said bracket, with its axisdisposed at an angle with relation to the plane of movement of thebuffer or polisher, and bushings in said sleeve to receive and supportthe tube or rod to be buffed or polished, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. The combination with a buffer or polisher and means to drive thesame, of a tube mounted in proximity to the buffer or polisher, aremovable bushing having a conical opening in the end of said tube, anda clamp to secure said bushing in said tube, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. The combination with an endless-belt bufier or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt, and means to drive the same, of a freelyrotatablesupport to loosely hold the article to be buffed or polished, a base orframe to maintain said support in proximity to said belt, said framebeing adjustable axially to vary the degree of obliquity of the holderwith relation to the direction of movement of the belt, and means tosecure said frame and holder in adjusted position, substantially asshown and described.

7. The combination with an endless-belt buffer or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt and means to drive the same, of a rotatable support toloosely hold the tube or rod to be buffed or polished mounted inproximity to said belt, said support being mounted to rotate freely withthe tube or rod, substan-,

tially as shown and described.

8. The combination with an endless-belt buffer or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt and means to drive the same, of a freelyrotatablesleeve loosely supporting the tube or rod to be buffed or polished andhaving its axis disposed at an oblique angle with relation to thedirection of movement of said belt, substantially as shown anddescribed.

9. The combination with an endless-belt buffer or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt and means to drive the same, of a holder for thearticle to be buffed or polished mount= ed in proximity to said belt, atightener-pulley for said belt, a lever in which said tightener-pulleyis mounted, a spring holding said pulley normally against the belt, alatch mounted upon said lever, and a notched sector for engagement withsaid latch, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination with an endless-belt bufier or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt and means to drive the same, of a holder for thearticle to be buffed or polished mounted in proximity to said belt, atightener-pulley for said belt, a yielding carrier for yieldinglyholding said tightener-pulley against the belt and means for changingthe position of said tightener-pulley while maintaining the tension onsaid yielding carrier, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination with an endless-belt buifer or polisher, pulleys tosupport said belt and means to drive the same, of a holder for thearticle to be buffed or polished mounted in proximity to said belt, atightener-pnlley for said belt, a carrier in which said tightener-pulleyis mounted, a spring applied to said carrier, and means to shift theposition of said spring to change the position of said carrier andpulley while maintaining the tension on the spring, substantially asshown and described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2d day of July, A. D. 1897.

FIDEL BUBSER.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. SHAFFER, HERMANN F. LUTZ.

